Plushies 2, A Sequel
by tampoposensei
Summary: Kakashi has to leave, Iruka gives him something to keep him company. Fluffiest fluff, good for a smile.


Disclaimer:- No, Kakashi-sensei And Iruka-sensei aren't mine. But there's always room in my heart for two more guys as cute as they are.

Athor's note:- If you haven't already, you should probably read 'Plushies' first. Click on my name by the title and find the link on the 'Stories Authored' list.

It was lunchtime at the Ninja Academy. Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei were in Iruka's classroom, but they were _not_ eating lunch. The two lunch boxes that Iruka had provided sat on his desk, unopened and ignored. The two men were standing in the one part of the room that was out of direct line of sight of the windows and door. From the look in their eyes it appeared as if they wanted to eat each other. They probably did.

Kakashi stroked the younger man's silky hair, following the line back from his face to his ponytail. He wished he could untie it and run his fingers through it properly. "I'm sorry Iruka but I do have to go, you know that."

Iruka traced his fingers over the older man's unmasked face, he wanted to know every detail of his features with every one of his senses. "For how long?"

"To the Snow Country, a week there and a week back." He glanced around the room, chakra heightened, probing for anyone within listening distance. Then flexed his fingers open enough to reveal the tip of a scroll, tucked into his palm and hidden by his sleeve. "I have to deliver this, top secret. I shouldn't even tell you."

The teacher rubbed the left side of the scar over his nose with the index finger of his left hand. Staring into the middle distance disconsolately. "But why do you have to go Kakashi? You only got back two days ago. Couldn't someone else do it?"

The copy nin sighed and put his arms around the teacher's waist, then planted a line of kisses along that same scar, ending with one on the down turned mouth.

"Tsunade needs someone fast. It's an important scroll, they absolutely have to have it by the end of next week or all hell will break loose. And there shouldn't be any trouble, but if there is she needs someone who can deal with it, as I said it's an important scroll."

"So it really does have to be you."

"Yeah, sorry."

"I suppose that's what I get for falling in love with a genius."

Kakashi pressed closer so that the combined heat from their bodies made his skin glow. "Would you want me to be different?"

Iruka shook his head sadly, then smiled and looked up to meet Kakashi's penetrating stare. "I wouldn't change a thing."

He paused then pulled away and took something from the bottom drawer of his desk. Holding it hidden in his hands as he turned back.

"This _is_ strictly a solo mission isn't it?"

"Kakashi's single eye was puzzled. "Yes just me."

Iruka blushed. "You're sure you won't be meeting anyone or talking to anyone on the way there or the way back or anything?"

The other's white eyebrow rose a little higher. "No, just a straight run there then a straight run back, why Iruka?"

The teacher grinned and put a plushie dolphin on the desk in front of him. "Then I want you to take this, to keep you company. I know how you hate being cold, he'll cheer you up, and maybe make you think of me once in a while." His blush deepened to a vibrant glow.

"Iruka!" The copy nin gasped in delight as he recognised the anatomically correct toy, reaching to pick it up.

But before he could, a hand had been slammed back over it. "You do promise that you won't let anyone else see it don't you, especially its, er special feature?"

Kakashi put the scroll he was holding on the desk and gently took the dolphin from him. He bussed his lips against its snout then put it back down so that he could cup the teacher's face in both his hands.

"Of course I do, you know I'd never deliberately make you unhappy. I love it. Thank you, not that I really need it, as if I could ever not think of you, especially when I'm cold and lonely. But it does make me feel happy."

He closed in and pressed his lips against the warm unforgettable mouth.

Suddenly high-pitched chatter and the scuffing of feet announced the impending arrival of hordes of underage would-be nins.

Iruka pressed into the kiss desperately, devouring the other man with his tongue and lips, breaking away just as the first bouncy figure became visible around the bend of the hall.

"Gotta go." Kakashi said, a little wistfully, as he stuffed the toy dolphin in his jacket pocket and headed for the door.

"Just a minute Kakashi." The teacher called after him, as he hastily scribbled something on a piece of paper.

The copy nin was back by his side in an instant, and Iruka threaded his arms under his jacket, as if to claim a final hug. But seeing the children practically at his door he patted the other man's shirt, apparently smoothing it down, then ghosted a kiss across a -now cloth covered- cheek. "Be careful." He whispered, looking at him longingly as he slouched out of the room.

Kakashi left his sweet dolphin to an afternoon educating Konoha's youth in the finer, and not so fine, ninja arts.

Making his way towards the gate he checked the supplies that he had already packed in his jacket and his pack. And with a warm glow in one part of his anatomy that he would openly admit to, and another he wouldn't, he patted the pocket where he had stashed the plushie dolphin. The pocket closest to his heart.

The second day into the mission and he was already cold. With the change in altitude the air had become cool and clear, and he'd woken that morning covered by a light frosting of frozen dew. Like fairy dust that made him, the whole world around him, and the little plush toy that he'd held in his arms all night, sparkle. On another occasion, if he'd been there with Iruka, been there to enjoy the fresh air and change of scene, he'd have found it magical. But now he just found it cold. Really, you'd think running flat out like a maniac all day would keep anyone warm.

Without slackening his pace he adjusted the chakra to his feet to run across a mountain lake, its surface coated with a whisper thin layer of crinkled glass-like ice. Suddenly the early morning calm was shattered by something erupting from the centre of the lake, like a breaching whale, or a shark lunging for bait. Then he was forced to duck as the biggest damn sword he had ever seen in his whole fucking life, was swung towards him. Chewing the icy surface of the lake into tiny twinkling fragments as it passed over it.

Hoshigaki Kisame, what the hell was he doing up here? Was it just an unlucky chance? Or was this mission more important than he'd realised?

He shot backwards to solid ground and looked around. He really didn't have time to waste on a battle right now, especially one that he had an excellent chance of losing. Good thing he'd been caught unawares, before he'd built up the chakra for an attack. Or, knowing that sword, he'd be out cold in a very different sense by now.

Using an earth jutsu he blasted a wall of rubble and stone between him and the lake. He couldn't outfight Kisame alone, but he could out run him.

It was three hours later when he finally felt it was safe to stop. Even though he was confident that the Akatsuki couldn't have followed him, he took no chances and, from his perch high in a windswept solitary pine, he carefully probed the landscape around. So far so good. But now he couldn't risk a direct route and that would cost him at least another day, maybe two. And he'd got water in his boots during the attack, so his feet were wet as well as cold. He absolutely did not want to spend another day in the godawful snow that lay ahead. Especially with wet feet.

Taking a closer assessment of his woes he noticed that the Samehada sword had ripped off the scroll pouches of his jacket on the left side. Too bad, but he didn't expect to need them. Them he saw a patch of silver grey plush poking out from the inside pocket beneath it. The famous Copy Nin of Konoha could barely restrain his killing intent from filling the whole damn valley.

DAMMIT KISAME, IF YOU'VE DAMAGED MY DOLPHIN…!

Hastily he pulled it out and looked it over. He squeezed it gently, making it's little plushie penis pop up, oh so cutely. Kakashi sighed with relief before kissing it and giggling nervously. His dolphin and all its… parts, were unscathed.

He chewed and swallowed some nutritious but flavourless rations, then tenderly tucked his dolphin into an intact pocket and went on his way.

The next six days were gruesome. He clung to the sides of mountains, avoiding the easy passes, waded thigh deep through fine powdery snow and on more than one occasion had to jutsu himself out from a snowy tomb when the mountains decided to bury him alive on his way past.

He finally arrived at Hidden Snow, a day late but well within his deadline, wet, blue with cold, and teeth chattering. He was escorted in to see the Kage at once.

"Hatake-sama." She said, acknowledging him graciously. "We appreciate the considerable effort that you, and Hidden Leaf, must have gone to, in order to bring us this scroll in such a timely fashion. It does almost as much to strengthen our alliance as the jutsu contained within the scroll." She held out her hand.

If Kakashi hadn't been three quarters frozen and half dead he would have screamed.

The scroll!

He thought back, in slow motion, to the last time he'd seen it. He'd had it in his hand when he went into Iruka's classroom. Then he'd put it on the desk to take the toy dolphin from Iruka, kissed the sweet plushie dolphin, kissed his much sweeter teacher dolphin and… left… the scroll… on… the desk.

Oh fuck!

He ran his hands over the pockets in his pants… over the pockets in his jacket… Now where in all reality should it be? He felt for the secret inner pocket in the lining of his jacket.

YES! There was a long hard cylinder nestled deep within it. Heart pounding, he pulled out a parchment scroll wrapped in a sheet of white lined paper. He removed the paper and with a gracious bow handed the scroll to the Kage.

Thank god!

Then he looked at the familiar handwriting on the paper still in his hand. 'Don't leave this behind you idiot.' Iruka must have slipped it in there secretly so that the children entering his class wouldn't notice. In fact he was damn good, _he _hadn't noticed.

Kakashi felt curiously light-headed, dizzy, almost delirious.

Iruka-sensei, no wonder I love you so much.

He took the plushie dolphin out of his pocket, closed his eyes and kissed it with every once of his pent up emotion.

"Why Hatake-sama." The Kage said, eyeing him curiously. "What a cute little toy, but what's that thing sticking out of its stomach?"


End file.
